Improvement in india-rubber overshoes



E. F; B'ICKFORD.

Improvement in india-Rubber Overshoes.

No. 129,389-.V Patentediufyls, 1872.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

ERSKINE F. BICKFORD, OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN INDIA-RUBBER OVERSHOEAS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 129,389, dated July 16,1872.

To allpersons to whom thesepresents may come:

Be it known that I, ERsKINE F. BICKEORD,

-of Malden, of the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in India-Rubber Overshoes 5 and dohereby declare the same to be fully described in the followingspecication and represented in the accompanyin g drawing, of which-Figure l is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a longitudinal section, of oneof my improved India-rubber overshoes. Fig. 3 is a top view, and Fig. 4an edge view, of one of the stiffenerplates.

Common India-rubber overshoes as usually made, unlike ordinary walkin gshoes or boots, have what is termed a heel-receiving chamber back of theshank, and depressed below such, and directly over the heel, the objectof such heel-chamber being to receive the heel of the shoe or boot to beprotected by the overshoe. In consequence of the necessary form of theshank or arch thereof, as shown in Fig. l, (the back of the shankconstituting the front boundary of the heel-chamber a,) and inconsequence of the shank being generally thin and very ilexible, theshbe, on being depressed at the heel, will bend down so as not toreadily slip olf the foot when thereon, and an attempt is made to removethel shoe from the foot or a boot or shoe thereon. Furthermore, the shoeis liable to give way or break down at the front of the -heel-chamber orjunction of such and the shank, so as to let the foot or shoe, when inthe overshoe, press forward so as to stretch the overshoe in its frontpart and loosen its t at the heel; it being frequently the case that anovershoe, when loose-tting at the heel and the shank, is very iiexible,becomes readily accidentally pulled off or detached from the foot of thewearer from causes well understood. A

In carrying out my invention, I combine with the rubber overshoe A(especially what is termed a self-acting7 or low-cut?7 shoe, as shown) athin strengthening-plate, b, of metal, (as spring-steel, for instance,)arranged within the shank and extended into the heel un- -derneath theheel-chamber a, such plate being generally placed between the insole orsolelining c and the sole d and heel b', all being asshown in thedrawing, and the plate being cemented to the parts above and below it.The plate, besides stiifening the shank, serves, while the overshoe maybe in wear, to prevent vthe heel of the shoe or boot that may be Withinthe overshoe from being driven forward so as to break down the shoe atthe shank, or cut or break the shoe at the junction of the shank and theheel. Besides, the 'stiffener serves to hold the shoe back in place inthe overshoe, so as to prevent looseness of t at the heel or stretchingof the shoe on the quarters.

With the shank and heel re-enforced in manner as set forth, and there-enforce or plate b arranged therewith and with the heel-chamber inmanner as described, important adva tages or new results are obtained inthe Indiarubber overshoe to what follows from a common shank piece orstiifener, as heretofore used in a leather boot or shoe.

I make no claim to a common boot or shoe provided with ashank-stitfener, whether it be a metallic plate or plates, or becomposed of wood, such shoes having no heel-chamber.

I claim-' As a new or improved manufacture, an India-rubber water-proofovershoe made with a heel-receiving space or chamber, a, and providedwith a thin plate shank-stift'ener, b, arranged in the shank and heeland with respect to the heel space or chamber, as set forth.

ERSKINE F. BIGKFORD.

Witnesses:

l It. H. EDDY,

J. R. SNOW.

